Seattle Animal Shelter Spay & Neuter Clinic

Did you know?

• Spaying and neutering are safe, simple surgeries that prevent animals from breeding.
• Females are spayed, males are neutered.
• One unneutered male can impregnate dozens of females. Therefore, it is just as important to neuter males as it is to spay females.
• One unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.
• Spaying/neutering succeeds in reducing the number of animals killed in shelters by preventing the births of unwanted litters. Spaying/neutering also eliminates or reduces the risk of serious health and behavioral problems that are difficult and/or expensive to treat - conditions that often cause people to give up their pets to shelters.
• Spaying and neutering reduces or eliminates the risk of certain types of cancers.
• Spaying and neutering often eliminates undesirable behaviors such as fighting, spraying and roaming.
• If you a Seattle resident and on a lowincome and need financial assistance to pay for spay/neuter services there is a program available to help you. Neutering may reduce inter-dog aggression, making walks and dog parks much more fun.
• If your animal companions are already altered (or if you don’t have any) you can still help reduce the pet overpopulation problem by donating to our Pet Population Control fund.
• Animals do not become less protective of their guardians as a result of being spayed or neutered.

Pet Over Population Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the surgeries?

Dr. Mary Ellen Zoulas is our staff veterinarian. She is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. She has over 20 years of experience performing surgeries. She is licensed by the State of Washington and is a member of the Seattle-King County Veterinary Medical Association, the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.

Who else is there?

Kim Webb and Jenny Chance are the two registered veterinary technicians who are our “surgical nurses.” They assist the doctor and help make sure the animals are well cared for. Between them they have over 50 years of experience as veterinary technicians and over 26 years at the City’s Clinic. Reine Komotios is our “front desk” person and has been with Seattle Animal Control since 1980. She has a lot of knowledge about SAC and is usually the one you speak with on the phone when you call the Clinic and the one to greet you when you come in.

How did the Clinic start?

The Clinic was started by an initiative approved by the voters of the City of Seattle who wanted a low cost, high quality clinic to spay and neuter their animals and the animals adopted by the City’s shelter.

Why are your surgery fees are so low?

A portion of our costs is covered by license fees for unaltered dogs and cats. Another reason our costs are low is because we are not a full service clinic. Our focus is on spaying and neutering. We do not have, nor are we paying for, many of the diagnostic and treatment equipment and supplies found in a full service veterinary hospital. Therefore you do not have to pay for these items. If you are unable to afford even these reduced fees the Pet Population Control Fund is available to help cover your costs. Please let us know when you call for an appointment that you like such assistance.

Why do you consider yourself high quality?

There are several reasons. Here are some:

• We have the highest regard and concern for the animals in our care.
• We have a wide range of anesthetic options, including inhalation anesthesia, and select the one best suited for each individual animal.
• We believe in and practice “pre-emptive analgesia.” Each animal receives pain medication before it feels any pain. This means the animal needs fewer drugs and experiences less discomfort.
• Our instruments and supplies meet the highest standards. Each surgery is performed with an individually steam-sterilized surgical pack. No instruments are reused without sterilization. The suture material used is the same as that used in human surgery.
• We monitor our patients closely. In addition to our watchful staff we have several instruments to monitor our patient’s heart rate, breathing rate and blood oxygen saturation.
• We have a skilled and experienced staff. We probably have performed more spays and neuters than anyone else in the area.

What is the early neutering program (ENP)?

This is a program in which surgical sterilization of adopted puppies and kittens is performed prior to the traditional age of six months and, ideally, before they leave the shelter. The ENP was begun to help address the fact that fewer than 60% of puppies and kittens leaving the shelter prior to being altered ever returned for surgery. These puppies and kittens were then potential and actual sources of additional unwanted litters. The ENP began as a pilot project in 1989, but its success quickly made it an integral and ongoing part of our adoption program. Currently all puppies and kittens 8 weeks of age and older and in apparent good health are part of this program.

Is it really safe to do surgery on such small animals?

In the past it was considered too risky to perform surgery on younger animals due, in part, to primitive anesthetic agents, crude surgical equipment and limited knowledge of small animal pediatrics. Other concerns were that there would be other complications; such as stunting of growth, urological disturbances, and increased obesity. As a result, traditional guidelines of 5-8 months became the accepted practice. Beginning in the 1980’s veterinarians began to study the safety and practicality of early-age spay/neuter. These studies show no significant differences in surgical risks, long-bone growth, urological disturbances and obesity between dogs and cats altered at 7 weeks and those altered at seven months. The success of our program here in Seattle confirms these results. The ENP is now approved and supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA.

I like the idea that this service is being provided. How can I help?

You can contribute to the Pet Population Control Fund. This fund was established at the Seattle Animal Shelter Spay and Neuter Clinic to receive gifts and donations for the purpose of promoting pet population control through the services of this clinic. Contributions are primarily used to provide spay/neuter services for low-income persons. These donations may be tax deductible (consult your tax advisor) and are always welcome!

Surgeries are by appointment only. Please call (206) 386-4260 to schedule an appointment.

An altered pet license is also required if the pet is not already licensed. The license fee is $15 for an altered cat; $20 for an altered dog.

Seattle Animal Shelter Spay and Neuter Clinic
Seattle Animal Shelter Building
2061 - 15th Avenue West